The Center for Kingdom Creatives Visual Arts

2021 brought about the founding of “The Center for Kingdom Creatives” with Wes Connell, Ken Neal, Jesse Suggs, and Rebecca Maidl providing the leadership to get this ministry up and running. We are excited to invite you to be a part of a move of God through the arts!  This is a ministry that started with small group gatherings and conversations of Christian artists, and led to our first themed “Freedom” Art Show in April 2022. Be on the lookout for our next Art Show tentatively scheduled for early September 2023!

Our Visual Arts Affinity Group held our first Art Show in April 2022 with 15 artists and 16 pieces of artwork portraying the theme of “Freedom” and it was a huge success! We held the Artist Reception on opening night, providing everyone with an opportunity to enjoy fellowship, food, and art! During the Grand-Opening we saw over 70 visitors coming and going, and throughout the week many more stopped by! By the end of the show, the People’s Choice award was chosen by visitors’ votes for their favorite piece of art, and our art judges scored the artwork to determine the Best of Show award.  Tori Chamberlain’s acrylic painting “The Lion and the Lamb” won the Best of Show award, and Caleb Carr’s pen and ink piece won the People’s Choice award.

Then the first annual Master’s Art Fair was held in June 2022 where artists were able to purchase booth space to sell their artwork! Through our upcoming art shows and events as the Visual Arts Affinity Group, we are hoping to raise interest and funds to establish “The Master’s Art Gallery” as just the beginning of our Kingdom calling in the visual arts!

Our Visual Arts Affinity Group continued this fall with an expanded leadership team and has had a good turnout through fun Affinity Group nights with activities and presentations where Ginny Butcher held an oil painting demonstration; Wes Connell gave an Art Talk about Creativity, Art and the Bible, and Celtic Knotwork; Deborah Schiltz led a creative playdough-sculpting activity; Rebecca Maidl facilitated an imaginary-animal, drawing exercise; Neva Bodin led a Pocket Sketching workshop, Jeff Caraway gave a presentation of Polynesian Art; and the group participated in various Bible illustration prompts.

By survey of the participants, artists, attendees, and Affinity Group members the consensus for future events and activities for the Visual Arts Affinity Group includes more Art Shows, creative work sessions, workshops, art demonstrations, and Art Talks! In 2023 and beyond, look forward to seeing more of these requested events, with the second annual Art Show scheduled for early September!

Returning leaders Wes Connell and Rebecca Maidl as well as some new faces such as Neva Bodin, Deborah Schiltz, Jeff Caraway and Brenda Short have been organizing the monthly Visual Art Affinity Group meetings during 2022-2023. Contact us if you’d like to join our leadership team! We will start our Affinity Group meetings again in the fall after our next Art Show. Check back for an updated schedule!

The future is bright and we look forward to many more exciting events to come to fruition through this ministry!

Contact any of the leadership team listed above or the River of Life office if you’re interested in teaming up with us!

Our Visual Arts group meetings are temporarily on hold until a new leadership team can be developed.

Ephesians 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.